Railway-car truck



Aug. 1s, 1925, 1,550,307

. 1i'. ELLIOTT Y RAILWAY GAR TRUCK Filed may 2. 1924 4 sheets-sheet 1 Hams ELLIOTT,

Aug. 1s, 1925. 1,550,301

5 `T. ELLIOTT RAILWAY CAR TRUCK Filed May 2. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug; 11s, 1925. r 1,550,307

T. ELLIOTT RAILWAY CAR TRUCK Filed May 2, 1924 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Aug..` 18 '1925;

1,550,301 x UNITED srA'rss` PATENT j o'1=r1cr..

vTHOMAS ELLIoTT','or CINCINNATI, omo, 'AssIefNony To THE CINCINNATI CAR Coinl PANY, or CINCINNATI, omo, A CORPORATION or oHIo.

- naILwAY-CAR TRUCK.

Application ma myA 2,'

TodZZ @hom .it may Conce/m Be it knownthatl, THOMAS ELLIo'rr, a

citizen ofthe. Unitedv States, residing at` First-To check the side thrusts or move ments of the transverse truck bolster, which is pivoted to the car bolster, and which gets its lateral thrusts from'the "lateral movements of the car body. This object is carried into effect by means of helical springsl mounted ron the truck proper, as o-n the s ring plank and Connected to the truck lbo ster, whereby when the bolster receives a lateral thrust these-springs will be deflected out ofthe vertical or bent over sidewisc and will thus resist, gradually, these A kside thrusts of, the bolster.` It is further 3l carried into effect by means of elliptical leafsprings, one division of which, say the upper division, is secured to the truck bol' ster so that when the bolster moves laterally y it will tend to produce a torsional move. ment or twist of such section of the leafI thereby will be additionally springs, and resisted.

I have found that these helical springs P `and these leafsprings each, and both together, react against the side thrustsl ofthe truck bolster. effectively but gradually and thus so iron out or minimize these lateral thrusts as to relieve the car of the objectionable side jerks ormovements which have lon prevailed.

becond---Tov hold v'the truck bolster against movements longitudinally of the truck when longitudinal thrusts are imt.parted to the bolster as the` trucksstart into-- motion or as the speed is suddenly checked;

This object I carry into/effect by 'means of afseriesof radius rods anchored at onel end to thetruck bolster and at-the other end to the truck frame so that-ifthe longitudireference being had therein the.

1924. serial N6, 710,631.

nal movement of the truck bolster is in one'V direction a tensile strain is put u n these radlus rods, .and if in the other dlrection a column resistance is oiered by the radius rods, whereby in either case the truck bolster is prevented movement back'and forth longitudinally of the truck.

These radius rods are alsoy adapted to sufficiently flex as to `permit the free up 'and down motions of the. bolster dus to the yielding of the supporting springs as the truck 'rolls over the rails. .l

Again, these radius bars elim/inate' the use of the old transverse transom bars which trucks heretofore have, carried, fone forward and the other rearward of the truck bolster to resist the fore and aft lmovements of the bolster, a construction which was objectionable due to the rapid wearing of these transombars which were usually made of wood.

Third-To` so secure the ends of the coiled springs used in this truck, as also to so secure the leaf springs to the truck structure, as that no relative movements shall take place between such connections and the truck, but onl the flexing movements of the springs wiereby all wear in the connections between the s rings and the truck structure, whichA wou d result from relative movements between them, is eliminated. In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Fiv'ure l is a plan view of substantially one-lhalf of my improved truck in'which the helical springs are shown in dotted lines and the .leaf springs and the radius rods in full lines.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of my imroved"tru ck, inwhich clearly appear one of the helical springs, one of the leaf springs, and a set of radius rods, which are' Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view' on thelie 3-3of Figure 1, and showing the leaf 'springs in cross section, the helical springs in side elevation and the spring plank and truck bolster in sectlon, as` also. the body bolster.. a I

Figure 4 is a detail enlarged slde elevation showing the upper arch bar, the struts and the spring plank. y

Figure 5 is a. lan view of the leaf spring supporting brac et. 'A '2 ,I

Figure 6 is a sectional View showlng the upper arch bar, the 'spacing sleeve, the column post, the journal box and the bottom arch bar, which parts 'enter into the support for the wheel journal bearing.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a portion of a truck, illustrating a further featurefnamely, a spring arrangement which acts to check or prevent lateral thrusts .or movements of the bolster relative to the truck.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the spring used tor this purpose.

Figure 9 is a detail side elevation of one of the angl'ebrackets used to connect such spring with the truck bolster; and

Figure 10 is a detail enlarged plan view of 'one ot the U-shaped brackets for connecting such spring with the 'transom of the truck. l

I shall first refer to the general features of vrailway trucks to indicate the structure to which my improvements are applied. The numeral 1 designates the usual car wheels, whose projecting axles or spindles are mounted in journal boxes, indicated at 2. j These boxes consist. of a. .cast-ing with the usual housing 3 for the journal bearing blocks, and, in this instance, with collars/l mounted on spacing sleeves 5 secured by column bolts 6 to the upper arch bar 7 and the tie rod 8. This description appliesy to all four of the journal boxes.

It will be observed that the collars will ride up and down on the spacing sleeves when thespring equipmeng, hereinafter de- V scribed, yields during travel.

The upperl arch bar 7, of whichthere f are two,` one on either side, spans the distance between the journal bearings, while the tie rod 8 likewise extends from journal box to journal box. Y

A third member of this frame work is composed of the lower arch bar 9 whose lower middle portion, shown at 10, is secured to the tie rod and whose ends tend to overlie and are supported by the journal box,

beinv' located between it and the upper arch bar This frame structure here described 1s of itself not novel, aside from -the special feature 'ust described with reference'to the journal ox and its mountings, which latter I regard as novel.

The numeral 11 designates what is termed the spring plank, which is a transverse beam in cross section preferablyA similar to the letter U as'shown in Figure 2. This beam extends from side to side of the truck and at its ends rests upon the portion 10 of the lower arch bar 9 which in turn vis further sustained by the tie rod 8. The upper edges of the spring\p`lank are turned outward to form flanges 12 which`with the supporting bracket 33 intervening are` bolted to the strut posts 13 which are constituted of a cast frame which fits under the upper arch bars to brace them. Thus these struts are supnssdeov ported by the spring plank and in turn, as stated, act to sustain the middle portions of the upper arch bars.

Mounted upon the spring plank are helical springs 14 and 15, in the present instance four springs in all, two at either side oi the truck as indicated' in Figure 3 where two o the helical springs are shown located near one side or" the truck. rihe foot ci each spring is fitted rmly in a seat 16, in the nature of a cup, secured firmly to the bottom of the spring plank, as indicated by rivets 17. This seats thesprings firmly on the spring plank and prevents all motions of them save their up and down and sidewise flexing, with the result that no wear iscsed between the springs and the spring p Above the spring plank is located the truck bolster designated 1S which is 'preferably formed of Vsheet steel and bent in cross section to substantiall the form of the letter U inverted. This bolster, in a sense, floats within the truck and above the spring plank because its only connection with the truck is through the helical springs above Y referred to and Ythrough the leaf springs to be presently mentioned.

The upper ends of the helical springs 14 and 15 are seated in other seats 19, similar ito seats 16, and secured as by rivets 20 to the upper part of the truck bolster, as clearly shown in Figure 3. The fitting of the 'upper ends of the springs snugly in these seats 19 again eliminates relative motion between the springs and the bolster to avoid wear. It will be noted also that as these seats envelope respectively the ends of the Vsprings .they form such a connection betweenthe upper ends "of the springs and the bolster 18, for instance, as that any lateral or transverse movements of the bolster 18 will be transmitted to the upper ends of the springs, whereby the springs will be deflected laterally. Their natural resistance to such deflection causes them to separate in the performance of the important function of yieldingly resisting and ultimately checking all lateral motions of the truck bolster. This carries out one of the objects stated atV the opening of this specification. Again, the recoil or tendency of these helical springs to return to the l vertical causes the bolster to quickly return to its normal position after it has suffered a strain` or movement which has caused it to move laterally. Y

These lateral movements of the Boating bolster are caused by the lateral swaying of the car body which is mounted on the car bolster, indicated at 21, and more clearl seen in Fi 3. The connection between t e car bolster and the truck bolster I- prefer to makev of the form indicated in which a socket plate 22 secured to the car bolster receives a hollow stud shaft 23 secured to the car bolster, with a king-bolt 24 mounted venlent devlce.

This king-bolt connection between the two bolsters secures the car body to the truck but permits freedom of the truck to swing with respect to the bod when traveling over curved sections of t e track. But

because of this interconnection of the two bolsters it will be understood that' the lateral thrust the car body receives as from centrifugal force while traveling on curves, or

through irregularities of the road bed which ,would tend -to cause the body to jerk from side -to side, will all be taken up, resisted andultimately checked by the reacting side thrusts ofl the' truck bolster which are ref sisted by the helical springs in the manner bolster b The lower half o before lpointed out.

A furtherl spring connection between the truck bolster and the truck itself, and a further spring action to check the side thrusts of the truck bolster, is obtained through the leaf s rings indicated at 26. These springs' are o the usual elliptic leaf spring type,-

with the u per half lvotally connected with the. lower Ihalf by t e usual eyes and bolts indicated in the drawin at 2l?. The position and mounting of t ese leaf springs in myorganization are peculiar. Their position is at or near the outer ends of the truck bolster 18, as best seen in Figure 3, where the upper half is shown secured to such the conventional U bolt 28 and nuts wit a bracket 29 having av shank V30 bound between the spring collar 31 and the bolster, this bracket being for a purpose vpresently to aptpear. l

v `this spring is secured by a similar conventionalU bolt '32 to a supporting bracket 33. id This bracket is composed of a lower member'34 and extended -fore and aft in the form of arms 35 adapted to secured to and sustained by the lower arch bar 9, and ofvertica-l wings 36which extend up alongsideof the truck bolsterand terminate in across portion 37 which is se` cured tothe upper arch bar 7 as b bolts 38. These brackets are thus very rmly and securely sustained'and' madeeiiicient for suporting the leaf springs, so tliatthe-truck olster is further supported in a yieldin manner in addition to the support afl'orde by the helical springs. Asstated earlier in v this specification, side movements of the truck bolster. are resisted b torsional strainsk ap lied to the upper hal of the leaf springs. hese torsional strains on the spring are due tothe connection between t eupper half and this bolster, so that when the latter moves sidewise it, through the U vto the truck frame bolt connection, tends to give the spring atorsional twist, the resistance of which by the spring tends to check the bolster.

The usual side bearin shown at 39, are adapted to limit the roc ing motion of the carbolster.

Referring now to the. means` for preventingthe floating truck bolster 18 from tending to surge forward or backward when the car is being stopped or started, it will be seen that I rovide a series of radius rods 40, preferab y four rods for each setwith one set adj acenteach upper arch bar. These rods are secured at one end in the brackets 29 and are. embedded in the other end in a clip 41 which is secured to the upper arch bar 7 as by bolts 42.

In this way the truck bolster is anchored ainst relative fore and, aftmovements of t e bolster, yet without 'interference with the up and down vibrations of the bolster as the radius rods bend or flex suiiiciently to permit of these vibrations without interference. Therefore, I have anchored the truck beam to the truck frame in foreV and aft directions but left the bolster free to ride up and down on the supporting springs. When the bolster tends to surge'in one direction it is resisted by tensile strains on the radius rods and when vit tends to move in the opposite direction .it

Thus the truck bolster, with its incumbent carbolster and car bodyis'left to float on the helical and leaf springs, which act to check its lateral thrusts and is held against fore and aft thrusts throughthe medium of the radius rods, while the latterdo not interfere with the upianddownvibrations of thebolster. i

I regard myself as the first to devise a structure in a carftruck in. which the truck bolster isa floatingelement combinedfwitli springs which sustain it and its loadilnd which springs vac t also to check and 'res'ist '1i-5, I also regard myself as the first tofcoumf" bine withV atruck and its'bolste'rs devices 1n the nature of radius-rods which perform the y important functionV of preventing the'bolste'r- 12'0 all lateral thrustsof such bolster.

from fore and .aft movements relativeto the truck, but which do not interfere with the other movements the bolster must under- Referring now `to another feature of my invention, namely the spring arrangement ias to check or prevent the car .bolster 21' from movement laterally relative to the rest of.

the truck, due to side thrusts -of the car or of the truck U to igures 7, 8, 9 an 10. In F1gure'7 the ro r I'call attention Pe lso transonis 43, which are connected up with the rest of the truck in the usual, conventional way, are equipped with U-shaped brackets 44 secured thereto by bolts 45, while the fioating .bolster 21 is equipped with angle brackets 46 secured thereto by nuts and bolts 47. A spring 48, composed of aseries of separate leaves as shown more clearly in Figure 8, and of intervening strips of wood 49, is secured between these angle brackets bymeans of bolts 50 which act to clamp the brackets against the spring, while the ends of the springs fit Within the U-shaped brackets 44. These lateral brackets are of dimensions vertically sufficient to retain the springs during all of the up and down movements' incident to the traveling of the truck over the rails.

It will now be seen that any movement of the bolster relative to the transoms of the truck, or of the latter relative to the former, will exert a tlexing pressure on the spring 48, and that the spring will resist the tendency to such movements.l In other words, this spring operates to check or prevent the bolster from moving laterally 'with respect to the truck. And yet this is done in a yielding and accommodating way so as not esV to cause breakage. And the harder the lateral thrust, the more thespring will be deiected andthe greater its deiection, the greater will be the resistance to the movement.

Having thus fully described my invention, .what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a truck, the combination with a truck bolster, of helical springs secured to .the truck structure and to such bolster, and

adapted to yield vertically and to flex or bend laterally to permit, but resist and check vrtical and lateral movements ofthe bols r. f

2. In a truck, the combination with a truck bolster, of helical springs secured to the truck structure and tosuch bolster, andadapted to yield vertically and to flex or bend laterally to permit, but resist and check vertical andJateral movements of. the bolster, and leaf springs connected with the .adogpted to iex when the bolster moves verly and to act torsiona-lly when the bolster undergoes lateral movements.

3. In a truck, the combination withT a truck proper having a plank, of helical springs mounted -onelud plank and a bolster connected to .the truck by these springsjand supported thereby, the springs rmittmg but resisting up and down and ateral movements of the bolster.

4. In a truck, the combination with a truck-proper having a spring plank, of helical springs mounted on said plank, a. bolster connected to the truck by these springs y a floating bolster an bolster and with the truck structure and t and supported thereby, the springs permitting but resisting up and down and lateral movements of the bolster, and leaf springs whose lower members are secured 'to the truck structure and whose upper members are secured to said bolster and which yield vertically to up and down movements of the bolster and yield torsionally to lateral thrusts of the bolster.

5. In a truck, the combination with a bolster, of radius rods secured at one end to the bolster and at the other end to the truck, and adapted to Hex up and down, whereby, the vertical movements of the bolster are permitted but fore and aft movements of the bolster relative to the truck are prevented by the radius rods.

6. In a truck, the combination with a bolster, of a series of substantially horizontal radius rods each connected at one end to the bolster and at the other end tov the truck and each adapted to flex to rmit up and down movements of the bolster and each also adapted to act through tensile strains toV check the lengthwise movement of the bolster in one direction and through.u

Iwhereby through the springs the up and down and lateral movements ofthe bolster are checked and throu h the rods the longitudinal movements o the bolster are resisted.

, 8. In a truck. the combination with its bolster, of helical springs and leaf springs secured tothe truck and to the bolster, and

radius rods secured to the bolster and to the truck, whereby the up and down and lateral movements of the bolder are resisted by such springs and whereby the fore and aft. movements of the bolster relative to the truck are resisted by the rods.

9. In a truck, the combination with a v truck proper includin a spring plank, of spn connections between such plank and such lster which are put'under tension when the bolster receives side thrusts, whereby such thrusts are yieldingly cheeked.4 xn. Inl a Itruck, the combination with a e capab e of` unobstructed movement longiwenn @festif and'relaive a said fixed-1i portion of the truclaand helical springs ecured firmly to suclr portion and to the bolster and themselves adapted to limit such longitudinal movement of the bolster.

11. In a truck the combination ,with-ia."

spring plank anA a floating bolster, such bolster having unobstructed longitudinal lso rtion thereof, of a oating bolster movement relative to the plank, each havin spring seats secured thereto, of helica springs fitted at their ends in said seats and adapted to limit'such longitudinal movement of the bolster.

l2. In a truck, the combination of a spring-supporting bracket and a floating bolster, of an elliptical spring having one part secured to such bracket and the other part to such bolster, whereby the bolster is suppoted vertically and checked laterally.

1.3. In atruck, the combination with a spring pla-nk and an inclined` lower arch` bar, of a spring-supporting bracket sectlred to said plank and lower arch bar, a bolster, and an' elliptic spring,- one branch being secured to said bracket and the other to'said bolster.

l14. In a truck, the combination with a spring plank, an upper bar, an 'inclined lower arch bar, and a bracket secured to said plank, bar and lower arch bar, of a bolster and an elliptical spring one branch of such spring being secured to said bracket and the other to said bolster.

15. In aftruck, the combination with a truck proper having transorns, of a bolster adapted to carry a car body, and a, spring connected with such bolster and the transoins to resist lateral movements of the bolster.

y 16. In a truck, the combination with a truck,'l1aving transoms, of a bolster and a spring secured thereto and connected with the transoms and adapted to flex when lateral movements are imparted to the bolster and to resist such movements.

17. In a truck, the combination with a truck proper having transoms, of a bolster and a leaf spring composed of a series of leaves set edgewise on the bolster and transoms, secured to the bolster and connected to the transoms by .brackets which permit the spring to rise and fall, but resist lateral movements of the ends of the springs, whereby the bolster is checked against lateral thrusts. i

18. In a truck, the combination with a bolster of a lear` spring comprising a series of leaves, with a lilling between the groups of the leaves to separate them and to stii'en the body portion ofthe spring.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature.

THOMAS ELLIOTT. 

